


Roll Your Hips With Mine

by TheShipDen



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dance, Connor & CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60 & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Crushing, Dancing, Dirty Dancing, Gavin puts Nines in a gay panic so quick, Grinding, M/M, Pining, Protective Connor, Protective Upgraded Connor | RK900, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Song Lyrics, Stage Names, Swing Dancing, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name, like its unreal, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-08 10:04:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17979287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShipDen/pseuds/TheShipDen
Summary: Nines couldn’t stand still anymore, he walks right up to the dancer and grabs his chin between his slender fingers and pulls him right up. Gavin tries to spin himself right past Nines, but he’s not so ready to let him off the hook just yet.Catching Gavin right by his waistband, Nines purposely twirls him back into his arms. Leading him into a chorus of steps and dizzying spins. Gavin’s eyes look a bit wide, and Nines reassures him with a small smile of his own before he’s dipping his partner low and Gavin compensates by letting his legs wrap around Nines’s back.





	1. Too High Can't Come Down

Nines raises his hand to the bar, letting his leg rise and point in a perfectly straight line over his head as a warm up while soft music plays quietly over the speakers. He looks into the mirror that takes up the entirety of a wall on one side of the studio, beside himself he sees his brother with his own warm ups. Stretching and working the ligaments loose before they begin their routine. He’s a bit distracted, lost to his own thoughts, and with his dwindled focus it leaves room for mistakes to be made. And sure enough he hears a cut and dry-

 

“Straighten your back, Nines! You must have poise posture. Points will be deduced from your score with such sloppy footwork and movement.” Amanda chimes, he can tell from her tone and stare that she is not pleased at all with him. 

 

He corrects his mistake soon enough, taking in a breath and letting his spine shape to the correct position. Nines pushes himself to the tips of his toes before lowing himself and going again. His arms flow beside him fluently with the warm up- a child’s exercise that bores him to no limit. 

 

“Better.” She turns to Connor, finds another error and Nines has to feel a twinge of pity for his brother. He wasn’t as graceful as Nines was, only by a hair- but enough of a difference for Amanda to chide him on it endlessly. 

 

“I’m sorry Amanda,” Connor huffs. His forehead touches the floor as he bends and works out the kinks in his hip flexors. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watches Connor’s legs unfurl and mold into the perfect split as he shifts up and leans to his right. Stretching. 

 

“You do not want people to mistake us for those underground dancers.” She growls, gaze narrowing at the two of them. And Nines has to wonder how bad they must be to warrant so much distain from such a regal woman. “We are better then that. We _are_ the best. And with poisonous pliés like that I fear we are to be insulted.”

 

She claps her hands, once, the sound echoing and briefly drowning out the melodic music and gaining their undivided attention. Her expression is stern and she seems to be regarding them silently with her own judgements before they had even began to move. She is strict, Nines will be honest, but it’s her demeanor that demands for excellence and if it weren’t for that- Nines knows their team wouldn’t be as praised. Wouldn’t be as popular and well-sung by the people. She is harsh but for good reason. This, he respects. 

 

“We’re going to run your routine. Connor dear, remember- your smile cannot slip for a second and your right foot must always stay elegant. Do not let it be jerky during the second set. And Nines, do not disappoint me on your turn.”

 

They both sigh silently to themselves and nod, giving her their own promises to do better, to be perfect. 

 

Connor stands up with an extended hand from Nines, they regard each other for a single moment- a familiar rivalry to be the best of the bunch settling over them. A playful musing they started once they entered this dance school and never let die. Connor smiles, a dirty and deceiving looking that Nines knows better then to trust, and he smirks haughtily right back. 

 

With the alluring tune of their music, the beats building up to the climax where they could begin, they got into place. And began their saunterings. 

______________________________________

 

“You turn your head to much coming out of the spiral, that’s why Amanda isn’t happy with it.” 

 

“I am not!” Connor bellows, panting from his spot on the floor. His hair is wild and with the sweat, beginning to turn into a curly mop of tangles atop his head. Nines sighs and sits down next to him. 

 

“Would you like for me to show you?”

 

Connor’s head rests on his knee as he groans, but relents nonetheless with a polite ‘yes please’ before he’s peaking up from around the limb. Nines gives him a smile, the smallest smile, before he scoots towards the center of the studio. Their music plays, very subdued since it was their break, but looping to keep the vigor inside their limbs. 

 

Nines lets his arms brace himself as he rolls onto the floor, his legs tucking underneath him as he elegantly turns and twists until he’s leveled and in a splits at the ground. There he pauses as his back bends, flowing with the beats of the music and becoming sporadic only when the tune tends to drop. His arm raises overhead, palm open and inviting to the heavens above and he stops entirely. He looks at his hand though, not at Connor but he knows his brother is watching him. 

 

“Here, here’s where you mess up.” He chides and swivels his head to the mirror, pretending it’s millions of eyes of people watching him, before his arm drops like the song’s own tune. It’s off-kilter, only a bit. “You always turn a second too soon, you anticipate too much. Didn’t you see the moment’s lapse?”

 

Connor frowns, looking a bit defeated as he glances at himself in the mirror. “I did.”

 

“Then you know how to fix it.” 

 

His twin sighs, flopping gracefully onto the cold wooden floor as he sulks. Nines can somewhat agree to that, he is also very tired of the constant practicing and mindless movements. Neither of them tell Amanda, they were her star performers- they knew she was a good choreographer, this just wasn’t their exact tastes. But they promised to dance, and so they’d give it everything they had. 

 

“Connor, can I ask you something?”

 

“If it’s to help you stretch, I’m sure you don’t need another warm up.” 

 

Nines glared at him, getting a hearty cackle from his brother before he turned onto his stomach and smiled happily over at him. “What is it?”

 

“Amanda mentioned the Underground dancers, have you ever seen them?” 

 

Connor hums, his fingertip tracing patterns into the wood as he looks and watches. Nines wonders why he takes so long to reply. “Have I met them or have I seen them dance?”

 

“Both. You’re being awfully dejectory today.” 

 

“I am merely bored, brother dear, don’t mistake it for anything else.” Connor sits up and quietly puts both his legs out before he leans over them and rests his forehead on his knees, Nines walks over to run a hand down the length of his back. Smoothing it out and correcting his posture. “Yes, I have seen them but no, I have not seen them dance.”

 

“Why must we not associate with them? Surely, they cannot be that bad.” His hands drop to Connor’s hips, softly pulling his body even straighter and working to relieve tension in his weary muscles. 

 

“I’m not sure. From what I saw, they didn’t look so adverse.” 

 

“What did you see, exactly?” 

 

Connor taps at his hands and Nines removes them, then he’s rolling back onto his back and points his toe in the air almost kicking Nines right in the jaw. But they both know better, with a gentle hold, Nines guides Conor’s leg to his chest and holds it there. 

 

“Lots of lights, their clothing was…reveling and flashy. Not at all fit for a competition, and I figure that’s why Amanda dislikes them. Not appropriate or whatever other term she’d use.” Connor lets air fill his lungs before he exhales, and then he’s loose. Nines works on contorting him. “Plus, they were very vulgar and outright.”

 

Nines cocks his head at the easy smile his brother sports. Connor was more limber then him, just a tad more flexible. Their routine had a lot of twists and tangles that only Connor could do so flawlessly, and of course that required he be put in peak shape. Stretching was mandatory both before, after, and during their practices. Nines’s skills lied in his ability to control his movements; be it robotic and jerky, or smooth and fluent. He was strong and quicker, outshining Connor there, and they used that to do jumps and holds with one another to gain the judge’s favor. 

 

“How so?”

 

“They battle one another, and they don’t take kindly to losing.” Nines couldn’t imagine doing a dance battle with someone, it seemed so childish and just plain embarrassing. Plus, where was the choreography? The carefully selected movements? The flawless routine, the intricate footwork? It all screamed hastily put together, in his opinion, sloppy, half-assed. 

 

“I see.” 

 

Connor barked a laugh, his smile taking some of the exhaustion from Nines’s muscles as he contemplated. “You sound like Amanda!”

 

He scowled, putting his hand on the side of Connor’s head and pushing him to the ground- not unkindly, but just in a brotherly fashion. Connor continued to jest at him until Amanda did storm in and demand to go over a few more errors in their dance. Begrudgingly they complied and got back up to continue. 

______________________________________

 

Practice was hellish. 

 

Amanda hadn’t been satisfied with any of the meets they did, no matter how hard they tried, no matter the lengths in which they pushed themselves. Neither Connor nor Nines had been so sore in a long, long time. Dancing had become easy, second nature, always too much of a bore for the regular likes of other teams and only began to feel challenged on CyberLife. But this was entirely different then entertainment, then a bit of edge to the notions, it was grueling. 

 

Their practices picked up, from once a week, to two, and now three. Both boys feared it going even further then that. Competition was breathing down their necks and Amanda never let them forget that. 

 

They both left, more often then not, tired and sweating. Panting and weary and muscles bound tight, they’d be sore come morning. So sore and full of lead, sleeping in and stacking up on carbs that they’d only just burn right off the next day. Amanda did give them praise, when the other dancers dropped or complained while they did not- she was proud of them, she loved them. She did. But god, did that love come with a price. 

 

With expectations that Nines wasn’t even sure he could meet, that anyone could meet. They were inhumane. And everywhere he turned, there was a flaw in his step, a movement too quick or too jerky or it moved too fluently that it was slow and not on tempo. He wasn’t positive how Amanda could nitpick those things, even he had been blind to them, but she seemed to know how he danced better then he himself. Better then Connor. 

 

They were halfway through the month, into yet another run of their routine, and he could see how tired Connor was. It was affecting his rhythm, Nines couldn’t say that he was doing any better. He knew that his inside spin to free spin was choppy, his lock step was faltering and ending messy, and he didn’t even want to think about how his open turn was ending up. 

 

Connor’s outside partner step was also concerning, but they were tired. Amanda stopped the music, already he could sense the aggravation from her. 

 

“What was that? This was the worst run yet.” She frowned, stern and crossed her arms. Nines grew frustrated. They were trying. But they could only do so much. 

 

“Perhaps if I stretch some more.” Connor began but at a raised hand from Amanda, he stopped talking. Nines saw the kicked-puppy-look and he got protective. Even if he was the younger brother, he didn’t like it when Connor got that look, when someone squandered a bit of his happiness. 

 

“Don’t feed me excuses, you two are suppose to be perfect. At this rate, I fear that we will fail before we even step foot on that stage!”

 

Connor took in a much needed breath, not for the air, but because he felt infected with her poisonousness disappointment. His need to please all too controlling of his psyche. Which made Nines bristle, his brother was sweet and overworked, nothing more and nothing less. 

 

“I believe we are doing just fine and excelling in progress.”

 

“And where, precisely, did I ask for your input Nines?” Amanda turned to him, gaze cold and set. He didn’t falter like Connor did under her scrutiny- if anything, it set him off more. 

 

“I’m just saying that the only reason we’re messing up is because we’re quite fatigued.” He sent her a hardened look of his own, boiling beneath his skin when she raised a brow at him. It made him feel like a child and her, the ever knowing parent. He hated that look. 

 

“Fatigue shows the true passion and spirit inside the most humblest dancers, it’s vital to know and to see where the heart lies in a dancer’s steps.” She scolds, as if he should’ve known such a cryptic motto. 

 

“We’re _tired,_ Amanda.” He emphasized and turned his back on her, gathering his bag and picking Connor’s up along with his. “We can practice and do more runs at the next meeting. But as of right now, we’re going to call it a day.”

 

“You cannot walk out on this!” She calls, her voice commanding and powerful and he felt his feet stall for just a step. Connor scurried at his side, and at the sight of the dark bags under his eyes, Nines found his resolve again. “You two won’t receive the spotlight dance if you leave now!”

 

Nines looks over his shoulder, silent aggression bubbling inside his sternum as he glances around the studio and spies the looks of other dancers, all gulping in air. Exhausted, panting, sweating and quiet as they try and breathe. “Then I hope you have someone else in mind.”

 

Amanda glares at him, all cold, the anger flowing unspoken between the two of them. He grabs Connor by the elbow, slings the bags over his shoulders and exits the studio. His legs burn and scream at him, the air around them is chilly with the approaching dusk and Nines doesn’t mind because he feels too hot all over. He lets his brother go and elects to make him drive them home. 

 

“That was some outburst.” Connor comments, eyeing him as he buckles his seatbelt. Ever the goody-two-shoes to obey each and every law, Nines only reclines and stares out the window. 

 

“Shut it. We were all thinking about it, I only had the balls to do it.” The AC blows over his face and he sighs at the cool breeze as it settles over this skin. His irritation is still pulsing through him but he has enough patience left to hold it down. 

 

“Still, you shouldn’t be so outlandish.” His twin chided, a frown pulling his lips down as he begins to reverse and pull out of their parking space. 

 

“Connor.” He leans forwards and waits until he hears his brother’s hum. “Shut up.”

 

He powers on the radio and turns the volume up. 

______________________________________

 

Colin comes home, he isn’t pleased at all by what Nines had done. He was so very loyal to Amanda, took everything so seriously, had to be so dramatic about it all. He was loud and he most definitely didn’t let Nines get away without an earful of nagging and then Connor had to try and get him to cool it. Connor usually had to pacify Colin a lot of the time, and even if Nines was the youngest of his brothers, he acted a lot more mature then them. 

 

“I don’t regret a thing, Colin.” Nines mused from his position on the couch, he still had on the outfit from when he danced. As gross as that was, he just didn’t have the energy to change. 

 

“You made Amanda very disappointed! She’s furious.” Colin roared, hands poised angrily at his hips. He was as loud as ever. 

 

“She was working us half to death, Connor was exhausted.”

 

“Since when have either of you ever been tired during a class?” Colin fired back, incredulous. Nines had to massage his temples, already feeling a headache coming on. 

 

“We get tired, it’s kind of a human thing, Col.” He couldn't help but to snap, Connor shot him a warning look so he hushed instead of continuing on. 

 

“Colin, Nines, maybe we should talk about this another time.” Connor tried, working to appease both the siblings. “We’re all exhausted and need some dinner. Perhaps, tomorrow morning, before practice?”

 

Colin didn’t seem to like the idea, but one icy glare from Connor got him to not say another word. Nines agreed easily enough, however, because his nerves were frayed to bits and he couldn’t fathom disagreeing. It could set Colin off yet again and he wasn’t looking for a fight so late in the day. 

 

To make the tension lighter between them all, Connor bumped his hip into Colin’s and sent him a charming smile. Colin scowled, but the heat behind it faded and he turned away to grumble back into his room. Connor took his place in the kitchen and started to root around, cabinet doors clicking shut and pots chiding softly. 

 

“I’m going to go out on a walk.” He huffed and got up, he felt the worried glance Connor gave him as he threw on the last piece to his outfit. It was a hoodie that opened around his stomach, but he had a skintight midnight black tank top underneath it to keep his abs from getting cold. 

 

“Alright, be safe though. If you come home late or messy at all- I’m going to skin you!”

 

Nines rolled his eyes, already halfway out the door. “I’ll be sure to be careful.”

 

He ignored Connor’s last call of a ‘You better!’ Before closing the door and taking off. He wasn’t yet sure as to where he was walking but he knew he just needed to be away from any more talk of Amanda and at home rehearsals of moves and corrections. Being apart of the team was an honor, and Nines was grateful for it, he was- but it was beginning to eat at him. And just a moment of peace was all that he needed. 

 

He could apologize to Amanda for his lashing out later, and he might be just a bit worried about the spotlight dance. He’d have to work harder and be better, dance smoother, suck up to her in earnest if he wanted another shot at being the star of that routine. He groaned with the exertion that he knew was to come- how would he manage? Maybe he should work out more on his form, try and become more flexible like Connor, or maybe hold more flare and passion like Colin. Nines didn’t have a set style yet, and it seemed like it would never come to him. That was enough of a problem in itself. 

 

He didn’t pay attention to any of the turns he took. He just kept walking, kept moving, and he was just starting to feel better. His thoughts seemed to simmer down and he could think a bit more clear, use a bit more logic then just jumping from idea to idea, to scenario to scenario. He felt more like himself, his cool, composed, calculating self. 

 

Until he looked up. And he found himself inside the more hectic sector of the city. The people rushing to run inside a building that looked dirty and rundown to Nines, he scowled and knew precisely where he was. He wondered why he had walked here, and he was a little frustrated at himself. 

 

He turned to go, but then he pictured Amanda. He pictured her; stern face, scrutinizing stare, annoyed expression, and it irked him. He glanced towards the building, at the fence that surrounded it.

 

In an act of pure defiance, he stalked closer towards it. He imaged how angry Amanda would be if she could see him now, he already knew what she would say and the thunder that could clap right across his back in consequence- but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Nines was insanely fed up with the way things were being run and if this was the only thing he could do to curb that annoyance, then he was going to do it. 

 

He made it up to the fence, and hesitated. Connor’s words echoed around in his brain, as did Amanda’s, the warnings and her blatant disgust. He couldn’t tell how long he stood there, debating with himself, staring at the entrance of the place until he got approached. 

 

A girl, with her hair curled into tight black ringlets and a red beanie came up to him. Her bra was white and it had low straps that crossed her stomach, which was very toned and flat. She had to be a dancer, he could see it in the way her core tightened and moved. Her pants were black with white bands at the bottom to match her top, along with a white and blacked striped jacket that was tied to her waist. She seemed friendly. 

 

 _Their outfits were reveling and…flashy._

 

“Hey there, stranger! What’s got your feet glued?” She teased him, her smiling beaming and incredibly bright. 

 

_Plus, they were very vulgar and outright._

 

He frowned and looked back at the building, if he focused hard enough he could see and hear both the music and lights from the dim doorway. “Just curious, is all.”

 

“Well I hate to break it to ya, but the excitement is inside. Not out here.” She giggled, leaning against the undoubtably cold fence chains and grinned up at him. She didn’t seem vulgar at all, not at all what he had been imagining. 

 

“I can see that.” He sighs, feeling a bit out of place as they stood. But she is patient, and doesn’t rush him as he gathers his thoughts. Finally, he decides to ask. “Are you a dancer here?”

 

She looks amused then, as if he’s said the funniest thing in the world. But there isn’t anything in the look that makes him feel underneath her, like she’s the superior while he is nothing but inferior. It makes him feel a bit lighter. “Honey, you’re new here, ain’tcha?

 

“Yes, I am.”

 

Again, the girl beams at him and launches into a very quickly spoken explanation. “Well, welcome! You can call me CardiT, or just T for short. I don’t mind either way! Yes, I am a dancer here and it’s so inviting and fun! I’m actually about to go on and do a routine with my friend- oh! You have to see it! I promise it’ll knock you right off your ass!”

 

She was friendly, for sure, and quickly made him forget all about his earlier misgivings. And while a bit of him- the good, obeying bit- told him he should thank her and leave, he was interested. It was preached that these people didn’t dance, did nasty, gross twisted versions of the word, things that were unflattering and inappropriate and labeled it as an art. He wanted to see if it was true, he wanted to see it for himself. 

 

“There’s no better dancer, or funnier- “ He doesn’t correct her on the word. Though he wants to, very bad. “-thing then my bud! He’s so crazy, man, you have to see it. He’s actually on right now! He’ll get you energized, and if you think you’re too wild or rambunctious then he’ll make you feel hella normal! C’mon, I gotta show you!”

 

Nines is pensive, he’ll admit, and when her hand extends to his he doesn’t take it at first. He feels a weight hanging off of his arm as the seconds tick by, unseen eyes staring into his shoulder blades as he tries to make a decision. He knows he shouldn’t, feels it inside his heart like a ligament. But he wants to be rebellious. Wants to see this dancer. 

 

“Lead the way.” He nods and she squeals, too excited, and grabs at his wrist before running them both into the building. 

 

As he enters, the music is much louder the he anticipated. It’s booming and blaring, he feels it inside his very bones as the tempo is erratic and he might mistake it for his own rapid heartbeat. The girl doesn’t seem to mind, she must be used to it, and she carried on. It’s dark and dim in the hallway they walk through but very soon flashing and blinding lights crowd his eyes and he’s having to squint to get used to it all. Amanda’s studio is nothing like this, nowhere he’s ever been is like this. It’s lively, people in every corner and turn, billowing around and yelling. Screaming, and cheering. They’re all so happy, smiling so wide it must hurt their faces but they jump to the song as if unbothered. 

 

There’s a bar, people are seated and standing, holding conversation and watching each other like a TV show. This resembles more of a pub then anything else, but everyone is having so much fun, shouting and jumping left and right- all laughing and grinning. Everyone here is carefree and ecstatic. They want to be here, they want to be entirely surrounded by others exactly like them. They’re not trashy or aggressive but open and respectful. He sees someone apologize for stepping on another’s shoes. 

 

_You do not want people to mistake us for those underground dancers._

 

The girl drags him through the crowd, towards the stage that everyone’s lining up to see. They’re either stunned in silence or yelling praise, and to be frank, Nines can barely hear it over the music blasting at them all. 

 

There’s lights weaved onto the floor, around the stage, shining at the people in the middle of it. It’s a beautiful blue that highlights and dips and shadows it’s dancer perfectly, makes them look angelic or glowing. One of the dancers is moving, quick as lightning and adding flares of rolls or twitches of their shoulders. They’re good, Nines will say, but not flawless. The girl then points to the dancer that’s watching them on the stage, he looks smug and arrogant, and she has to holler over the mixture of sounds to tell him that that’s her friend. 

 

The boy wears a light grey crop top that seems to glow a bright cyan blue in the lighting. It ends just at his chest, if he raised his arms then Nines would suspect they would see his bare skin. There’s some form of clothing on them, he isn’t sure what to call it, but it’s tight around his legs almost like leggings. Fits to his form so perfect and it rises like high waisted shorts up on his stomach- but it tapers off there, turns into something similar to suspenders with how they lap over his shoulders. Nines can make out the briefest peaks of abs, of a sculpted torso before it’s hidden by light and clothing. 

 

 _Their outfits were reveling and…flashy._

 

The other person pauses and grins at her friend, like they’ve already won. The music changes, fades into another song and it’s electric and pop-y. A hiphop feeling of the tune as it fills up his lungs. And then he starts. 

 

 _Galliano, I'm in Galliano, bitch_  
__Foe told me pronto, I'm in Galliano, uh  
_Fee-fi-fo-fum  
_ _Grab your lens 'cause here she comes_

 

They step up, hips swaying and snappy- vicious, almost like a wolf as they hit each note of the song, the movements were fluid as they sassily stalk up to their opposer. As soon as they saunter past, however, they sink to the ground before rising up exactly like the octave in the music. This girl’s friend makes their challenger turn to watch them, and they know it too, full of confidence. 

 

They look over their shoulder, sharp, sneering as their arms hover up like vapors ready for a meal and they turn so quick Nines wasn’t even sure it had happened, he had blinked. Their head whips around, chin tilted up and the condescending air to them is so striking that Nines feels so bad for the other dancer. 

 

_Frame by frame, glossy lips  
Must I remind you I'm that bitch?_

 

There’s claps inside the song, and he watches as they haughtily cover their mouth with a second’s notice before they’re once more turning their head away from the other person, almost like they were disgusted. The diva could put Colin to shame, the passion and haughty air makes Nines impressed. This was all free-style, no choreography, nothing but pure feeling and action. He’s so immersed. 

 

 __Elongated, sophisticated  
__Covergirl, bitch, we made it  
_Every feature soft to the touch  
_ _I make all your boyfriends blush_

__

 

Their hands hold their stomach, he watches the muscles bunch and flex as they roll their body. At the next clap, they’re bending from the waist, posing so their round ass has the stage front and center. They squat, so effortlessly and quick, before rolling themselves back up. Smirking, eyeing the stranger as the crowd loses it. Screaming and applauding. Chanting. 

 

The song carries on, fierce and unforgiving, so cruel- and Nines watches as this boy hits every beat. Every clap, moves elegantly, destroying his competition in flicks of his hands, every inwards and onwards pull of his legs, how he crouches and jumps. His eyes widen, he’s star strucked with the ease in which they move- so perfect, always perfect and right on cue. This battle had been over before they even made their move. That notion is obvious. 

 

_ Hit that pose, take that flick  
Check your angle, post that shit _

 

They stop, only to pose. Hands on their knees, back expertly arched, leg straight and poised. The crowd hollers, beside him, he hears the girl begin to laugh. 

 

_ Hit that pose, take that flick  
Check your angle, post that shit _

 

It has to be half a second, it just has to. Nines sees them change poses but his eyes just couldn’t process how quick this guy was moving. His hands are stretched behind him, his eyes never leaving his opponent’s. Staring and promising death, promising the destruction with his movements. Once more, they jut their hips out, displaying the toned thighs and bubble butt- an added touch for extra sass. 

 

As the music repeats those two lines, Nines holds his breath when they move again. They’re walking, no, no, gliding forward so pristine and excellent. Their hands rise up, not as quick as before but leisurely, there’s no rush and that seems to cement the win. He’s still working in tempo, still inside that caging rhythm. Their hips start to swing again, he lowers slightly to the ground only to come back up, just as unrushed, just as smug. Hands still raised. They form two L’s and as this dancer backs up, they slow down even more. 

 

Their hands frame their face, make a picture frame. They stare down the other dancer, unbothered, unnerved, seemingly uncaring. The music picks up, just for that second, the claps, the eccentric buzz of instruments, Nines is shocked into silence as their hips snap exactly as if controlled by a God. Sassy, fierce, so full of precision. 

 

_ Bitch, take down your toupee, I’m sitting Mugler uh _

 

They dismiss the other dancer with one wave of their hand and the song fades out, another replacing it. The crowd looses it, shouting loud and unrepressed, roaring with life and tingling with energy. Nines understands. He gets it. He doesn’t cheer out loud but he feels the energy return to him, the electric current buzzing beneath his skin as that boy owns the stage, owns the lights, owns the music and the people around him. He’s celebrating his victory, smiling wide and pretentious and normally that would make Nines mad. 

 

He hates when the other dancers are so arrogant, so full of themselves, bolstered egos made his head throb painfully against his skull. But he cannot find it in himself to be mad at them. 

 

The girl, T, runs right onto the stage and envelopes her friend into a crushing hug. He hears in unity as the crowd chants his name; Minx. That’s what they were screeching, and Nines knew it was a stage name. But he was going to remember it. There was no way Nines could forget someone who could move like that, do such an energetic dance and come out on top, have the strength to do more and more and more for hours. 

 

He thinks he sees Connor’s face in the crowd and he’s reminded that he has a time limit. He curses under his breath, just as he sees T go to tell the Minx something and he leaves the crowd. 

 

It’s hard to push past all the people, they’re all trying to get closer to the stage, the music is loud and blasting and no one seems to understand his hurry. But he gets out, and once he’s standing in that dim hallway does he check the time. It’s late, he should be getting back. 

 

Nines takes one look at the scene, the underground. He takes in all of it’s dancers, it’s melodies. He swears he won’t forget tonight, and maybe, if he can bypass Amanda- he can return.


	2. Losing my head, spinning 'round and 'round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines stares, eye to eye, face to face, with him. He had trudged all the way over and stopped in front of him, unfurled his body and stood as straight as he could. The green lighting makes his eyes glisten; dazzling orbs trapped inside an equally as handsome face, Nines could continue to stare all night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if the coding here doesn't work,,,,it's because the page refuses to except my inputs so please,,,blame that bc it won't let me fix it lmao

“If you stretch them, I’m going to kill you.”

 

“For the last time, we have the _same_ shoe size- the chances of me doing that are _very_ slim.”

 

“You say that, and yet your sets are nothing but horrendous! You’re going to get noticed.” Connor seemed to sigh, leg poised high in the air as he pouted at him.

 

Nines was touching his toes inside a spilt, relishing in the slight burn of holding that position for so long before he shifts to press his stomach to the floor. The cool tiles make the sweat chill on his skin and for that, he’s grateful. 

 

“As much as I _love you,_ you’re a real pest.” He griped and lifted his head up just to glare at his twin from the floor. He knew Connor was just teasing, and so was he. In a brotherly sense. Light bullying made for great family dynamics, without them, Nines was sure to go mad. And Connor let the comment roll right off of his shoulders, looking smug as he grinned. 

 

“Manners, baby brother, manners!” Honestly. Nines would’ve retorted but he was stopped by Amanda’s form stalking into the doorway. 

 

She called for a few minutes worth of warm ups, started to show them a new addition to their set and informed them about the upcoming judges and any more fresh details based off the competition. Stress was applicable throughout every member of the team, nerves flying through one another, anxiety but also a hunger to win. She stared them all down while she spoke and didn’t hide the annoyance when her gaze flickered onto his own. Nines promptly ignored it, let his head be held high and kept her stare. He was not going to back down when he had nothing to be sorry for. 

 

They’re then sent to have individual practice with the people involved in their routines, Amanda having been called for a meeting by Elijah Kamski himself. Chloe sat beside the door and observed them, clapping and cheering whenever it was called for; boosting all of their moral and encouraging their spirits. More often then not, more passion was put into their dances because to her. They all thought the girl was quite sweet and wished she was allowed to dance with them. But, being Kamski’s famed dancer and receiving an ankle fracture from a botched performance, she’d have to sit this one out. They all mourned for her, wished her well, and her personality was as bright as ever. 

 

It wasn’t until Connor and him had gotten into the fast part of their set, Connor flipping and arching his spine to look as poetic as possible while Nines carried him across the stage. Then a simple drop and spin, but every time he tried to move his thoughts traveled elsewhere. 

 

When Connor’s body twisted and rocked, Nines thought of that dancer- _The Minx-_ and the way he had moved that night. When Connor’s head tilted up, Nines pictured Minx putting that stranger in their place, the smirk, the glinting eyes, the arrogant nature. His brother dove onto the floor, poised and elegant and Nines couldn’t help but remember how that Minx dropped onto the floor only to roll himself back onto his feet and sway his hips. Body pulsing with the loud beat and swinging perfectly in tune. He was so distracted; by rippling abs, charming grace to a dirty dance, fast turns and exhausting footwork that was so extravagant-

 

_“Nines!_ You almost tripped me!” 

 

He blinked, shaking his head to dispel the thoughts. “My apologies.”

 

“That’s-...quite alright. Here, we’ll run it again from the middle.” 

 

He lines himself up, on his marker. Connor has taken his own position, they’re about to start the dance- Nines wonders how the Minx started out his routines. Did he just wing it? The whole way through? How could he do that, what was it like? He never looked uncoordinated, Nines wasn’t sure how one achieved that without precision and accurate choreography and grueling rehearsals. It didn’t make sense how the Minx did it, rolled with it- what if the song didn’t match his mood? What did he do then? Was it all just fancy f-

 

_“Nines!”_

 

He missed his cue. 

 

“Hm?- oh, I’m, excuse me Con- I’m sorry.” His cheeks burned as the music chimes softly in the background, oblivious to his blunders, uncaring if either twin was dancing along to it’s melody. 

 

“What’s gotten your focus?”

 

He can’t tell him. Connor wouldn’t let him hear the end of it- and god forbid if Colin learned about his whereabouts last night. 

 

“Nothing, don’t worry about it. We should try again.”

 

“Absolutely not!” Connor smiled, cheeky, raising his arms up to pinch and grope at his face. Particularly, his cheeks, muttering in a childish, high pitched tone. “What’s got my wittle baby brother in a twist?”

 

“Do you _ever_ shut the fuck up?” Nines draws, embarrassed and so grateful no one else practiced with them. God, he’d really throw Connor off the apartment building if he did that in front of someone. Well- Chloe didn’t count, she always saw the worst of it. 

 

“Nope! So start talking, or must I use brute force?”

 

“Please. Save me that embarrassment, and consider your dignity for a moment.” Nines tsked, flicking Connor’s forehead and purposely pushing his head back afterwards.

 

His twin frowned at him, and Nines already saw the argument waiting to build. It was how they worked, how siblings were- and they were only toying with one another, nothing serious about it. Which was why Nines’s heart softened and he regarded his brother a bit differently. He could always scold or tease or praise or scream and Connor, by the end of the day, would happily fall asleep with him on the couch watching bad movies from way before their time. Connor kept all of them happy and fought tooth and nail for everything they’ve been given. 

 

“- to god, if you don’t spill the beans right now, baby brother! I’m never going to-“ Connor’s rant was not serious at all. How he waved his arms up and pulled over exaggerated expressions let him know that. “-don’t tell me! I’m stealing your shoes!”

 

“I went to the underground.” He blurted and smirked at the sudden hush that befell his sibling. Connor glanced around, stalked away from Nines and for a moment he thought he misread everything. Thought that his twin was mad. Upset at him. He took in a breath. 

 

But Connor swiped both their water bottles, grabbed a spare shirt and slung it over his shoulder as if he were on break and tugged Nines to follow behind him by the wrist. Both brothers were silent, Nines more anxious then anything. The wind smacked them in the face as they trekked outside, Connor handing Nines his bottle and snapping the cap off his own. He took a drink, wiped his mouth, and gestured for him to do the same. Nines gave him a glare, got one back, and obeyed after another minute of a stare off. 

 

“You went to the underground, last night?”

 

“I did it to spite Amanda, admittedly, it wasn’t responsible of me. I wasn’t- I never intended to-,” He swallows. The contours and curves of the Minx’s body filtered inside his mind, the blinding lights and blasting music. The way his hips rocked and he seemed to sway as if the beat were he himself. God above- how did he move like that?

 

“What? You never intended to, what?”

 

“I met someone.” He sighs, swirling the water inside his clear glass holder and staring off. “Well, technically speaking, I saw him- never talked to him. But Connor, Amanda has it all wrong. Everyone down there has rhythm, like I’ve never even seen before! They have passion, enthusiasm, a drive! It’s all so clean cut their dancing- and their movements? Footwork? I was…overwhelmed with how wrong we are about them.”

 

“That good?”

 

“Yes! If he was in competition, I’m certain we’d have a thorough challenge. He has skill, Con, skill. He’s not- not some, some-“

 

“Random street rat?” Connor supplies, tipping his bottle in suggestion. 

 

“Yes. He’s fierce, he’s a worthy dancer. You should’ve seen him!” Nines groans, hiding his face in his hands. The Minx was hot shit, he knew it, Nines knew it- any and everyone in that club knew it! He was something special, that was so clear, so obvious. Amanda had no idea what she was talking about when she addressed them. 

 

“You’re not the only one who’s been to the underground, you know.”

 

Nines whips his head up, staring with a furrowed brow at his sibling. He mustn’t have heard that right. 

 

“I’ll agree with you, a lot of the dancers there have commendable energy and finesse. They’re _good.”_

 

He’s quiet, processing what that entire sentence meant. Connor, his brother, this goody little two shoes of a person, one who always followed the rules and never lied- had done what he had done? Had gone behind Amanda’s back, maybe even danced or talked with one of the underground-ers, maybe he practiced with one. But he had done it before Nines had, maybe was still doing it- had done it for longer. 

 

“Why don’t we go together?” Connor offers, ignoring the flabbergasted expression his brother has. “Tonight.”

 

Nines pictures the Minx on stage, lights shining all over his body, muscles lean and flexing, body twisting and spinning, eyes brazen with mischief and wild. A snarky grin, a knowing glint to his eyes, a confident burst of movement from him. The crowd roaring, the swerve of his hips and the expert transition into a hard maneuver. His heart is beating quick, just like the bass of the song, just like the unforgiving jerking of flare the Minx used as he snapped his own head left and right, the trailing hands and round ass flaunting. 

 

He has to see that bastard again. The Minx. He needs to watch him dance. 

 

“Yes.” Nines says in a single huff, “Tonight.”

______________________________________

 

They sneak out of the house. It’s easy when the only people he has to avoid is Colin, and their brother isn’t even home. 

 

Connor decided to pick out a soft adidas crop top, the material was thin and would keep him cool inside the crowded club, with a pair of black and white pants to match. It’s a comfortable look, easy to move around in and very defining of his figure. He’s talked really highly of a single dancer there, as Nines has of his own mysterious dancer. They’re both ecstatic and thrilled to be sneaking off and away, together rather then apart. The wrongness, the risk of getting caught and being in so much trouble was laughable- no, really. It made them snicker as they walked down into the rundown neighborhood. 

 

Nines didn’t want to go all out with his own outfit. A simple see through jersey with a fat and bold nine on the back, a smaller number to crest his breast in the front, white lining the sleeves and neckline. Simple black pants, baggy but with a firm grip on his legs, two zippers for added style and fashion rather then the need for pockets, running over his left thigh. The twins hadn’t meant to match, but they did. 

 

After a few bants as they had stood in the living room, Connor jokingly exclaiming a fond: _“Change bitch.”_

 

They had entered the club. 

 

The music was fading, the ending of a song to signal the start to a new beginning. It seemed fitting. The lights shut off, only for a moment, turning an eerie green as white light broke past it to bear witness to the dance floor. The music started up, the song having less of a frantic and bass-driven tempo and now one that seemed unrushed, carrying a heavy weight of horror inside this tune. 

 

Nines rushed to get to the front, balling a fist in Connor’s crop top and yanking him along. He shouldered past people, directed people out of his way as he tried to get right into view. Hoping and praying who he thought was up there truly was. The crowd was hushed, quiet and no one dared to breathe, not even to move. Nothing had happened and already they were entranced. He fought his way to the front, Connor apologizing for him as he rudely shoved bystanders aside. 

 

The Minx was there. Oh thank god- he was there. He was dancing. Or, going to. Nines had made it- had caught him. 

 

He was strutting around the stage, finger crooning around people, sneering. The red long sleeved shirt he has is beautiful on his skin, highlighting how tan he was, the puma pants doing wonders to fit directly to the curves and shape of his ass and fine legs. The music was singing, a woman’s voice- he was gearing himself up. Readying a start that Nines knew would be nothing short of amazing. 

 

_Today, I'm thinkin' about the things that are deadly_   
_The way I'm drinkin' you down_

 

His shoulders roll, he’s staring dopey eyed at random people, steps small as he inches forwards. The song is beginning to pick up, turning more horrific, more screams, more metal screeches inside of it. It’s suppose to be chilling, and as it’s grip on his soul tightens, Nines shivers. Enraptured. 

 

_Like I wanna drown, like I wanna end me_   
_Step on the glass, staple your tongue (ahh)_

 

He moves quick like before, chest seemingly beating with it’s own intensity, pulsing as if the Minx’s own heart is wildly out of control. It’s so fast, his body is so in tune, Nines is astonished. A crunching of glass inside the music, The Minx’s body trembles, foot like lighting and shaking as if he had cut himself deep on invisible pieces of glass. The tormented gasp of the woman singing has him grabbing his own head, tongue flickering out and rolling as if in show. Nines watches it- watches him. 

 

_Bury a friend, try to wake up (ah ahh)_   
_Cannibal class, killing the son (ahh)_   
_Bury a friend, I wanna end me_

 

He’s everywhere at once; rolling on the floor with pointed toes and getting up by a smooth arch to his back and a steady rise with the moaning of the lyrics. His arms cover his mouth, as if he cannot speak against the melody, the possessive and dark tune- moves his own arms above his head and almost slam him to the ground. He flips- eloquently and with enough time to spare as the slicing knives return, softening the chorus of instruments for dead silence. 

 

There’s a vibrating hum to the music, a shaking that rivets through the dancer’s body like a torrent. Nines has to question on if it’s real or not, it’s so expertly done, in time with the fluctuating rhythm. When it stops, the Minx stops. He’s staring confused, and then it starts up again. 

 

The vibrating bass, the horror themes. The dancer contorts, as if fighting against the song’s clutches, falls forwards onto his hands and feet. He’s running, racing straight forward- it so perfect, so smooth, he’s nailing the terror of the tune and inflicting his own snarky movements. 

 

Nines stares, eye to eye, face to face, with him. He had trudged all the way over and stopped in front of him, unfurled his body and stood as straight as he could. The green lighting makes his eyes glisten; dazzling orbs trapped inside an equally as handsome face, Nines could continue to stare all night. 

 

_I wanna end me_   
_I wanna, I wanna, I wanna end me_   
_I wanna, I wanna, I wanna_

 

He rocks, thumps, and quakes with the sudden quickened tempo. Nines is surprised at how controlled his dance is, how despite the wild flailing of his arms, they never go outside of his range. Never into the crowd, never too far off beat and derailing him from his track. It’s methodical, rich and smooth. 

 

The Minx is still close, just a single step away, Nines feels so desperate to pull him against himself and finish the rest of this dance together. But all he can do is keep watching, he’s struggling to keep his hands to himself. They drop to the floor, leg out and poised, a perfect split right as another bass boomed throughout the club. People were cheering but it went unheard by the twin. 

 

The Minx keeps dancing, wild and free, so energized and in-love with his own graceful sway. Nines is surprised at how he can keep doing these dances, they look so consuming and exerting- he’s panting. Nines sees his chest rise and fall as he finished on the floor with a bend in his spine to cement the possession of the chorus. The crowd eats it up, Connor beside him has his own eyes glued to watch. 

 

A woman stalks onto the stage, circling the Minx. Nines recognizes her, what was it again? T? Something T. A friend of the dancer’s.

 

He hadn’t noticed another song already playing. 

 

He’s so immersed by the woman, staring with baited breathe, he had to flail a bit to catch Connor’s shoulder and drag him in close without ripping his gaze away. He raised his voice so he could be heard through the crowd, “That’s T- she’s his friend. She got me in here.”

 

“The Lieutenant mentioned them before,” Connor screams back. Ah, Nines wonders if he’ll meet this other dancer tonight. Connor’s dancer, he really hasn’t heard someone catching Connor’s interests before, might be a nice change. 

 

This time T wore muted green with a leafy pattern, it was a strapless bra. Hugged tight to her chest with lace that wrapped around her stomach in a small cross, but that was all for her top. Her pants matched the same theme, same colors, hanging low on her hips and showing off the strength of her core. She has quite the look- Nines will admit that she appeared attractive, delectable even, if he swung that way. But to him, The Minx stole the entire show. 

 

She crossed the stage, finally finishing her circle and crouching down- slow, as if time and gravity did not apply to her in this case. 

 

Her hands raised in time with her partner’s, as if suspending a crown above their heads before their arms fell and dangled at their sides, seemingly broken. T had turned towards the Minx while he looked down, transfixed and head in a small lull as it bobbed. Legs drawn up close to their chest, at the small ding of another note, both their eyes snapped up and looked into the crowd. Once more, it landed on Nines and he was breathless with the intense stare meeting his own. 

 

The lights changed to a maroon red, a deeply saturated crimson that cried out at the octave and licked pleasantly at the highlights and shadows the Minx had racing over his figure. He looked so ethereal, it wasn’t real. 

 

_Bite my tongue, bide my time_   
_Wearing a warning sign_   
_Wait 'til the world is mine_

 

His tongue flicked out again, curling around the air before his arms came up to cup his mouth, finger splayed and open before they, too, curled. Both dancers mouthed the last word, the crowd hushed again and no one dared to interrupt their performance. He remembered his encounter with T the other day; She must be amazing, she kept up with the Minx, she dazzled the crowd just as he had, she promised to blow him away. And he believed her, as they all waited on the music to speed up. 

 

_Visions I vandalize_   
_Cold in my kingdom size_   
_Fell for these ocean eyes_

 

Arms, working in perfect sync, moved slowly forward before they both slumped into themselves and drew their hands towards their stomachs. As if hiding a treasure, at the underlying beat of the song chiming, they jumped into action. Legs pillowing out, almost in a straight line, hands circling around their eyes as they rocked and leaned to the side in the rhythm of the bass. 

 

Correcting the posture after a moment and a fluent slide of their arms, they sat with their feet touching and legs crossed, sending a deathly glare into the crowd- this look missed Nines. He wasn’t sure if he was grateful or disappointed because of it. 

 

The music turned sour, a killer type of thriller sinking into the chorus as both dancers turned towards each other- heads ticking, bodies tense, jaws dropped and teeth bared seemingly as if the sound of the screams emitted from them. T’s hair went wild, unbound by any hairstyle and springing freely past her shoulders, and she rose up on her knees- they looked like they really were about to hash it out right there. 

 

_You should see me in a crown_   
_I'm gonna run this nothing town_

 

Both of them surged upwards, like a string pulled them up from their chests- making them have the otherworldly affect of ghostly force controlling their every move. Head snapped forward, T’s hair covering her face and adding to the scare factor of the dance while the Minx only seemed seductively frightening. 

 

The next few beats are irregular, inconsistent, with no set tempo and no reoccurring pattern. Both dancers pivot their knees, bolt their arms up with a single finger and they tremble with the shaking undertones of an earthquake. Dropping into a squat, fingers curled into fists, still holding that same look of possession, of a crazed excitement. 

 

_Watch me make 'em bow_   
_One by one by, one_   
_One by one by_   
_You should see me in a crown_

 

Nines wasn’t sure how they managed to still roll their shoulders, swirl their hips, and snake around the other while still in a squat. They were flawless, moving together without a single delay and easily winning the crowd’s favor- he loved their dance. They had so much love inside each step and every bounce, every rumble of energy was their’s to be proud of. He felt encouraged just watching them, the want to run into the fray so overwhelming that Nines had to hold onto Connor tighter. 

 

Connor’s hand curled around his own, neither brother bothered to rip their eyes away. 

 

T and the Minx turned to look at one another again, Nines sucked his breath in and watched, wondering if it was going to be like the last time they made eye contact with one another. The song had a moment of silence which they expertly executed, stopping and remaining stock still until the music blasted once more with it’s temptations. Arms bent and chins raised- well the Minx’s chin was raised, T’s looked pointed down. 

 

Their heads snapped right back before he could confirm a thing, always so quick, so on beat. Their hands once more raised to their hair and seemingly held a crown onto it. 

 

_Your silence is my favorite sound_   
_Watch me make 'em bow_   
_One by one by, one_   
_One by one by (one)_

 

Hips jolting, they matched the rhythm even as it changed and dropped. T hunched down at the next bass booming into the speaker’s, the Minx held his arms over her, both their feet working to move them gracefully while they turned and circled in their spot at the center of the stage. 

 

They looked to be seizing the other up, spinning and walking around the other dancer as if they were the enemy. Then both dancers straightened their shoulders, stood perfectly upright; one hand crossed behind their back with the other pleasantly resting on the curve of their abs. 

 

It was entirely robotic how they bent in a bow- repeatedly, over and over and over. Stopping when the music did, starting up and jerking when the melody pulsed with an unknowing edge. It should’ve been unflattering and their movements should’ve looked choppy and hastily sewn all over the dance floor, but it wasn’t. It was elegant and there was so much depth to the ideas behind it that Nines could do nothing else besides to stand there and admire. 

 

Connor flinched when they whipped right around again, T standing behind the Minx before the voices grew botched and butchered. Little techno babbles that spewed incoherent lines and lyrics, both dancers rolled with it, quite literally dancing around the issue. They only waited for maybe half a second before a roll ripped through their body, a wave of motion that swept them and forced their heads to hang down and loose while their arms jetted open. 

 

When the shriek stuttered and rasped inside the club, at first they moved together- a well oiled machine. But then T, as she stood behind him, got knocked. Her body leant sideways as the Minx cleanly balls his hand into a fist, as if he controlled her and her body. They’re quick, the amount of energy is overwhelming, Nines is so startled by it as they somehow twist the space around them, contort it until they’re side by side again. Getting onto their knees and waving their heads, following the theme of the song, making faces to match. It was perfect. 

 

He simply couldn’t get over it, so badly did he wish he were capable of commanding such a spirit inside his own dancing. 

 

_Crown_   
_I'm gonna run this nothing town_

 

The transition to the floor and standing is momentous, sharp, leaves his heart pounding and making the blood roar right past his ears. They’re fighting for the crown again, circling one another with a seductive air to their sultry strut. 

 

_Watch me make 'em bow_   
_One by one by, one_   
_One by one by_   
_You should see me in a crown_   
_Your silence is my favorite sound_

 

It cannot be real, not physically done to be so sinfully presentable and perfect and poise when dancing to such a fast tune, and an unforgiving pace- the strain and exhaustion has to be staggering. But both of them act as if they could go one forever, dance until the end of time, and Nines feels like he could die watching. Be perfectly at peace if he were to go right now having watched something so amazing. Briefly, Connor bites at his lip, crowding in on Nines’s shoulder and leaning forward to get a better look. 

 

T reaches up, hands grabbing and clawing, trying to snatch at the imaginary crown, and Nines can see it so vividly. Pictures it resting, flashing with endless jewels and making this Minx look undeniably handsome. Fuck, the lighting is making him look absolutely delicious, and the way his shirt rides up when he smacks her hands away and rolls his body away from her is downright gluttonous. Too big of a turn on in such fitting pants and a short top. 

 

_Watch me make 'em bow_  
_One by one by, one_  
_One by one by (one)_

 

T took the front, the Minx right behind her with a respectable distance between them. She bowed, only twice, before leaning back up and seemed to giggle. She made a show of her pleasantly pretty smile and stopped moving at each snap of the music, returning to the movements like a preprogramed robot while the Minx struck a few poses behind her. 

 

Together, they raised their pointer fingers to the crowd and stared down any and everyone who looked. T began to take steps back, in time with the woman singing, while the Minx stalked forwards again. 

 

At the very end of the song, she dropped back onto her knees and hunched her shoulders- spent and tired as the quiet air of the ending raked over the crowd. The Minx arched his back, stared her down as she frowned and scrunched her brows. The entire club roared back to life after the next moment, clapping loudly and yelling. A few people whistled, a loud and piercing sound. Nines might have joined in- and maybe Connor did too. But who could tell over all of the noise?

 

T smiled, and the Minx seemed to be laughing as he helped her up. They embraced, both wearing a dazzling grin before more dancers hurried onto the platform and covered the floor. Neither party seemed to mind, their pants evident as was the excitement and joy. 

 

Nines lost sight of them, sadly, as more people rushed to dance to the new song blaring on the speakers. He tried to squint and focus, tried to make out the ruby red of the mystery boy’s top but the changing lighting was making it difficult to tell a normal blue from a jungle green. He slumped, turning to Connor as he tried to guide them both to the side of the club since the attraction was no longer in supply. 

 

“They were phenomenal!” His brother shouts, attempting to be heard over the speakers. 

 

“They were,” he agrees. Nines tries to search the people for one of the two while Connor smiles and shakes his hands in grand gestures as he babbles. 

 

“I see why you were distracted, they’re so captivating! And their skill level is astounding, a wondrous performance!”

 

Nines gushes, feeling his face heat up as he pictured that stare. The one that made him feel as if he was the only person in the planet to exist as soon as those green eyes landed on him- or, he thought they were green. It was hard to tell with the copious amount of heavy lighting and shadows. He wouldn’t mind if they weren’t, they were pretty and mesmerizing, he could stare into them for hours without a set color. 

 

“I need to go find the Lieutenant, we’ll meet back up at the entrance. I’ll text you.” Connor bellows, joining Nines as he rakes his eyes across the bustling group of people all around them. “Be safe, okay? And don’t go anywhere without me.”

 

“Likewise.” Nines murmured, leaning towards an approaching person- no, it wasn’t his dancer. He cursed a silent swear and attempted not to let the disappointment grow. "The same to you as well.”

 

Briefly, his brother’s hand clapped onto his shoulder and rubbed a bit. It could’ve been to sooth him, Nines wasn’t exactly sure, but Connor was taking off before he could get a word out. Nines watched him leave for a moment- eyes glued to his twin’s back just incase. Under the changing lights, Connor looked quite different, and the thought diminished the little hope he had in his chest at finding his dancer. Plus, the place was turning a bit stuffy and hot. 

 

He needed a drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gavin's solo; [ Bury A Friend](https://youtu.be/QZrnzSxzSd4?t=125)  
> Tina and Gavin's dance; [ See Me In A Crown](https://youtu.be/4ritGZPPYes?t=325)
> 
> Join us next time on: Dancing With The Stars! 
> 
>  
> 
> jk jk kidding but next chapter Nines is gonna get that dance ;)


	3. Can you feel me now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know who I am?”
> 
> “Minx.” He sighs, nuzzling himself to the side of their face, trying not to interrupt and take their bottom lip between his teeth. 
> 
> “Ah, good boy.” They purr, hand traveling low on his back. Nines smiles, they’re feeling him up again.

He chirped a few excuses and apologies as he pushed past the masses of people, shouldering his way to get to the bar. He finds an opened spot and takes it, waving the bartender over and orders a Pineapple Mojito Sangria. He has half a mind to send a text to his sibling to remind him that he should drink something, they should both be watching what they consumed and should be ensuring they had enough electrolytes if they were going to kiss Amanda’s ass and break their backs during runs.The first sip is refreshing, cooling, and his mind seems to simmer down in it’s endless prattling. 

 

“Hello there, handsome.” A voice purrs right beside him. Nines watches as a body leans right next to him, shoulders lax but drawn somewhat close, almost touching his own if he were to move an inch. 

 

He goes to give the person a glare, about to fix his icy eyes onto them. At the tilt of his head he catches sight of charming green eyes, his breath hitches. He faces his dancer. The Minx. Who’s playfully biting at a straw and nibbling the tip of it, eyes twinkling and playful and so bright, Nines’s heart is beating harder, and he feels his cheeks color. Thankfully, the lighting is so dim and off-colored, the Minx shouldn’t be able to tell. 

 

“Hello yourself,” Nines draws out entirely enchanted already. The dancer makes a show of sweeping their eyes up and down the length of his body, he has to suppress a shiver. They take their time, slowly eating him alive inch by inch, he focuses on their lips. The ones wrapping around the straw and sucking lightly around it. 

 

“Saw you out there,” They gesture back to the busy stage. “How come I’ve never seen a face like your’s before?”

 

“A face like mine?” He echoed. Nines wonders what he means by that, he’s giddy with the ideas his brain supplies him at what it _could_ mean. 

 

“Yeah.” They shift, leaning against the bar with a single elbow as they jet their hips out. Nines can see their abs, nicely crafted muscles flexing and stretching under the barely covering shirt. Their hand leaves their glass, a finger curls under his chin and suddenly Nines finds that his face is being tilted up. “I’d definitely remember someone like you, babe.”

 

He swallows, hard. “Oh?”

 

“Can you dance?” The Minx drops his hand and Nines misses it, he forces himself to take a long and slow sip of his drink, trying to seem unaffected. 

 

“Why would you like to know?”

 

They chuckle, a smile that looks too warm makes a fire light up inside Nines’s stomach. God, he were so fucking cute. “Mysterious, I like it. ‘m just a little curious, what other reason does a guy need so many muscles for?”

 

Their hand passes down his arm, not being shy of steadily feeling his bicep and crooking their fingers around his tricep. Nines doesn’t shake off his hand, he tries to resist the urge to let his own fingers feel up the dancer. It’s such a madding itch that he has, it’s screaming at him to just do it- to go for it. 

 

“So you admit to checking me out.” Nines gives something just shy of a smirk, miming the Minx from earlier and raking his eyes up such a lithe body. He likes what he sees, likes it so fucking much he finds breathing difficult. 

 

“I’m only doing what you’re already guilty of.” They sneer. Nines notes that they’re standing closer to him, their hand inches back up his arm and seems to find a joy in passing repeatedly over his broad shoulders. “Saw you watchin’ me on stage these past nights.”

 

Nines wants to feel mortified that he’s been caught, but he isn’t. Not with how seductive the dancer is, how he steps just a bit closer and his chest brushes up along his skin. “I like the way you move.”

 

They seemed delighted by that statement, drinking up the praise with a hearty laugh and a winning smile. Nines is so powerless against it, the hand on his shoulder pushes just slightly- and he allows it to have as much give as possible. Turning his front to fully face the dancer as they close the already small gap between them both. The Minx shoves him back and Nines almost misses the chair behind him, stumbling just a bit before they jump his bones and get seated inside his lap. His hands fly to wrap around their small waist, drawing them in close and protective in habit- a natural reflex to falling. 

 

He has to admit, it’s such a pleasant turn of events. 

 

“How I move, ay? Well, _mister,_ I hope you know I’m a bit interested in finding out how you move too.” Nines feels something messing with the curls of his hair, pushing them off of his forehead, out of his face; combing through the thick mess of his scalp. It’s a nice touch, a gentle one, but it gets his heart stuttering inside his chest. 

 

“Are you asking me to dance?” He dares to lean in, dares to follow their face as it only slightly moves back. The hands on his shoulders skim down his frame, feeling his torso and ghosting over his toned stomach. Nines is so thirsty for it, for those hands to go lower or for the dancer to bring him home. He’s never crushed on someone so fast and so completely. He should be scared, but he wasn’t. 

 

He couldn’t be, when they grabbed the waist band of his sweatpants and let them snap back to his hips. 

 

“I might be. Depends,” The Minx surges forward with a certain grace that makes Nines freeze. He thinks this is it, this is the moment he’ll remember forever, the kiss he’s going to etch into his brain until the end of time. But they go right at the last second, he feels their breath filter over his lips briefly- so close, and so fucking far away. 

 

What a tease. 

 

“Are you gonna say yes?”

 

How could he not? They back off of him, only a bit, staring down at him. Nines feels like he’s in the claws of a predator with how chilly those forest greens look at him, like he’s a meal just waiting to be eaten. This dancer gazes at him like he’s something special, it plays with his morals and twists his manners. His hands go to their hips, holding him in place. They arch to accommodate and suddenly, they’re chest to chest- he’s trying to calm his heartbeat. Embarrassed if they could hear how wild it was. 

 

“Yes.”

 

The Minx jumps off of him, leaves his lap and takes that warmth away. Nines frowns, but it’s quickly dished away when they snatch his wrist up and start to pull him up and over to the crowd. The current song is foreign to him, he hopes they won’t be dancing to this. He wants to do well, show off, he wants to impress the very being that never left his thoughts. They’re pushing past people, muttering excuses and clawing their way up to the front. 

 

The people disburse easily enough when they see who is asking for clearance, whistling and hooting as the dancer hauls both of them onto the platform. The other song ends, a new one begins and he finds that they’re in the middle of the stage. The Minx turns back to look at him, winks- it could be the faulty lighting, he thinks both eyes blink though he isn’t sure- and he’s moving. 

 

“Try and keep up."

 

_Cupid ain't a lie_   
_Arrow got your name on it, oh yeah_

 

They’re quick, again, moving entirely too fast to trace for too long but slow enough to flow with the beat of the song. Nines is watching them- yet again. He knows he needs to move along with them, he’s trying to get a good sense of the rhythm, thinking of steps he can take and silently planning out how he’ll preform. 

 

He remembers Amanda’s critics, feels enraptured by them. The exhaustion seems to creep up into his bones, settle inside of his veins but then- oh, then. The dancer looks at him and grins, smiles. Slowing his twirls as the melody calls for it and extending a hand for Nines to take. 

 

_Don't miss out on a love_   
_And regret yourself on it, oh (oh, oh)_   
_Open up your mind, clear your head_

 

The bass booms, the Minx moves and Nines follows along. He raises his arms exactly like they do, he watched his own steps and attempts to let his foot land on the roaring beats. He maneuvers himself behind them, putting a hand to his own head in perfect copy of how they do as well. He looks at the crowd. 

 

T’s standing at the edge, her hands cupped around her mouth and her eyes light up with glee. He isn’t sure who she’s looking at, they make eye contact and she gives him a wide smile with a thumbs up. Her hands then make a shooing motion and he imagines she’s encouraging him to break the flow of mimicry and do something extraordinary of his own. 

 

He wants to, but he’s stuck in the habit of routine. Amanda would never accept his own original spin on any of her moves, let alone let him come up with a run for their show. She forbids it, tells him he isn’t ready or that he’s not creative enough for that. He feels frustrated in the moment, he wants to push past that and break it. 

 

He decides, here- Amanda can’t see him. Can’t control him. He decides that he’ll go for it. 

 

_Ain't gotta wake up to an empty bed_   
_Share my life, it's yours to keep_   
_Now that I give to you all of me, oh_

 

They eased themselves onto the floor, Nines rolls onto his back- but it’s the Minx who kicks his leg up and out. They’re good at following each other off of a moment’s notice, because Nines does the same in perfect timing. The dancer likes, no, loves erratic movements. Their chest bounces like an animatic at the soft undertones of the music and Nines is proud that he can produce the same fluid moves. Briefly, he sees a grin form on the other’s face. 

 

He pushes himself to his knees, knowing that the Minx is doing the same, right there with him. 

 

_When it comes to you_   
_There's no crime_   
_Let's take both of our souls_   
_And intertwine_

 

They’re across from each other. Nines is seated on his legs, as are they, and the song begins to go soft with the loving and tender mix of romance. He lets that edge him, fuel him to mix things up. For lack of a thundering rhythm, both of them let their heads tilt and roll for the silence of lyrics. The Minx raises his head to look at him, the golden glow making his hair look lighter and his eyes brighter, his smile more whimsical and happy. 

 

Their hands move to their chests, circling in opposite directions but it’s them who fists the fabric of his crop top and pulls it with the soft chime of the singer’s voice. Nines mimics it, but he doesn’t miss the inch of the other’s chest that comes into view before the material is dropped and now hides it away. He’s only a bit sore about it. 

 

_When it comes to you_   
_Don't be blind_   
_Watch me speak from my heart_   
_When it comes to you_   
_Comes to you_

 

The Minx pulses with the sudden on-slot of techno trills, arms shaking and torso trembling, they bend forwards. They’re reaching out for Nines and he half complied, letting his arm be taken by their frantic grasp. Fingers danced up his forearms and only softly pulling him along. He goes forward, they’re crawling behind him. Nines gets to his feet first, watching as the Minx stays seated on his knees, twisting his expression to match the intense emotions from the melody playing. 

 

Nines is approaching him when he gets up, spins right around to face him neatly. His hands is clutching at his top, pulling the red tight into his fist and he just stands still. He watches as they let go, drift their wrist up and throb with the shaking intensity of music. They’re standing close, he wants to kiss them right then and there but denies himself that luxury. 

 

He lowers his hand, mouth open as he gapes, only a bit breathless. It’s beautiful, he looks so pretty but Nines makes his feet move. Makes him walk away from the dancer. He sees them walk away together, stopping when they’re side by side. 

 

The song explodes into fits and tantrums of bursting energy. Nines is proud to lead them both through it, letting the Minx add his own flares as they move around the stage. The tune is a bit extreme, insanely unforgiving in its pauses and start-ups, but the Minx doesn’t seem to mind so he won’t either. The dancer's leg, as it kicks up and points, is something to be accounted for. Nines knows they have done classical, can see it in the precision they use to make it just right before letting their legs fall. 

 

_Want you to share that_   
_(Share) when it comes to you_   
_Want you to share that_

 

They’ve moved in a corner of the stage, Nines is on the outskirts and he hears the people- like a faint whisper, chanting his name and cheering him on. He feels the oncoming burst again, knows it’s about to happen. He surprised the Minx with a bit of that robotic routine from earlier, makes sure it’s as quick as a flash of lighting. And they looked overjoyed with him, one of their palms laying squarely on his chest as they rock back.

 

He wants Nines to follow, as he takes the steps back and he’s sure to chase after him. All the way until they’re at the other end of the stage, the smile the Minx has is too bright, too overwhelming and happy and Nines can feel himself brandishing one of his own. 

 

Just as Nines tries to sweep his arm around them though, they twist and spin right from under him and run- literally run back to the other side of the stage playfully. If he wants a chase, Nines can certainly keep up. 

 

He twists himself, elegant and poise as he crosses the platform with as much grace as a swan can. For a moment he’s grateful Amanda had taught him how to save time with a good rotation and the balls of his feet, she’d be loosing her mind if she knew what he was currently using it for. 

 

He jumps to his heels, not even with an inch separating them. The Minx turns to him, smooth and brisk. A hand rests on his collarbones, the other doing the same but stationing itself on his shoulder blades and they’re on their toes to bring themselves at eye level with him. Nines, this time, succeeds in snaking his arm around their waist. 

 

He pulls them into him, relishing and ascends as he feels their weight press against his frame. He turns them both, a small little spin and dips them. The Minx doen’t move, so he keeps going, watches as his dancer hangs almost limply in his arms. Chin tilted up, one arm still around his shoulders and Nines secretly shines as he feels bare skin under his hand. 

 

_When it comes to you (to you)_   
_There's no crime_   
_Let's take both of our souls_   
_And intertwine_   
_When it comes to you_

 

They’re fully on the floor, arching and slide out of his hands and pushing themselves up and up on the floor. Nines follows, tracks their body with his own as he crawls above them. Arms embracing the sides of their smaller frame. He feels their hand slip back up his arm again, suggestive before it flies back to his shoulder, cups around his neck. 

 

At the next lyric the Minx soars up, one leg curved around his back as he slides his face in close- so close but not close enough. 

 

The crowd looses their minds, as Nines is slowly loosing his patience and will. He wants so badly to claim the other’s lips with his own but he stops himself. It’s the end of the song, the beat fading out into the distance and the dancer turns and slips right out from under him. Nines smiles, watching their pants cling to their curves and showing off the things he wishes to see uncovered. 

 

T rushes onto the stage, hundreds of hands clapping and loud screams of the audience they’d attracted yelling for all their worth. All of them are herded offstage, his dancer taking his wrist once again and pulling him off somewhere, ditching his friend in the mix. 

 

“Damn, you’re pretty good.” 

 

Nines beams at that, feels brave, his confidence surges. He lets his arms move and bracket the Minx into the corner he had led them too. Their body flushes against the wall and Nines leans in, bonking their foreheads together and wearing a wide smirk. “Yeah?”

 

“Yeah,” Arms hook right back around him. His dancer feeling quite unafraid himself and pushing their chest together, noses touching at the tips and breath fanning against his lips. Nines has never been hungrier for any other thing. “You know who I am?”

 

“Minx.” He sighs, nuzzling himself to the side of their face, trying not to interrupt and take their bottom lip between his teeth. 

 

“Ah, good boy.” They purr, hand traveling low on his back. Nines smiles, they’re feeling him up again. He’s not against it but finds that it’s rather cute then anything, nothing too dirty yet, but has the potential to be. “And you are?”

 

“Nines.” He blows a puff of air around the shell of their ear, feels them shiver beneath him. He lays more of himself onto them. 

 

“Meant real name, genius.”

 

“That is my real name.” He chuckles, nosing into their hair. “Long story.”

 

“Well then…. I’m Gavin.” 

______________________________________

 

“I’m adding a bit to the routine,” Amanda announces. She walks across the studio and plugs her phone into the sound system. After a few clicks and taps, a soft melody is playing. 

 

It’s the type that wraps around the soul and holds the listener close, he can already envision lovely steps and simple turns. A little contortion here and there, perhaps a light transition or rasp. It has a poetic justice inside of it’s gentle sway, a fruit bearing simplicity that makes Nines feel lighter as he listens. Connor, beside him, hums along to it and toys with the strings to his hoodie- making it into a neat little bow. 

 

"Get comfortable with the song, warm up to it and do a few stretches, please. We’ll begin in a moment.” And then she’s retreating into her office. 

 

Both brothers have frequented the underground, a lot more then they should. But it feels right to be there and Nines comes to life whenever he’s around Gavin. His dancing improves when he’s holding Gavin right against him, grinding on their backside while he throws it back and dives to the floor in a split, Nines yanks him up and twirls him around. Their hands wander, and they meet in any point of contact they can. They hold conversations afterwards, tease each other and Nines knows he’s fallen in love. 

 

He knows he’s head over heels obsessed with Gavin because even now, as he stands there and listens, he can do nothing but picture how they’d dance. 

 

He knew he’d have Gavin’s hands in his own, they’d prattle around a bit- Gavin would tangle his legs right around Nines and he’d hold him up, bow him onto the floor and watch as he arched up. Sometimes if Nines was feeling particularly unashamed, he’d purposely run his hand over Gavin’s chest and right over a hardened nipple. He drank up the quiet gasp and moan like the finest wine, sometimes he’d grope and knead the dancer’s thighs and ass. Just because he could.

 

They eyed each other a lot, danced with each other constantly. Nines doesn’t want to be doing this boring shit, he wants to be with Gavin. He wants to see what dances Gavin could make to these songs, how graceful he could do spins and plies. But he’s stuck inside. Stuck doing the same runs before Amanda stalks back out and claps her hands together.

 

“You’re distracted.” Connor whispers as they get into place with the rest of their team. 

 

“Can you blame me?” Nines counters, rolling the kinks out of his shoulders. 

 

“No. You looked happy last night,” There’s a soft chime of approval. Nines sighs, having spotted the mystery dancer Connor got himself wrapped up in too. They were both pretty helpless. 

 

“I’m thinking of going again.” The music relays, he sees his cue and begins to follow the stupid and boring renditions he’s come to know by heart. 

 

“I’ll go with you.” Connor twirls and falls right into another member’s arms, hooking his leg around theirs as he steps to the side, spins inside Nines’s capable hands and gets gently set into a perfect spilt. He stretches forward and Nines keeps up with the rest of his team. 

 

They’re slow. Not at all as rapid and unpredictable as Gavin, Nines misses him. He finds this all to be so underwhelming, so uninteresting- who could be entertained by this? 

 

“Tonight.” He hears Amanda call out a count, her voice stern as she nags someone who fell out of the rhythm. 

 

“Tonight,” Connor cements. They do not talk about it for the rest of practice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nines and Gavin dance to: 2U 
> 
> Sorry for the late update! 
> 
> Let me know what you thought about this chapter, I'd love to hear from you babes! <3
> 
> Next Chapter? Nines gets that kiss!


	4. With a taste of your lips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, you.” Nines says it like a secret, too afraid to speak up an octave and fracture the picturesque moment. 
> 
> Gavin grins at him, and it’s one of the softest looks he’d ever received. “Hey, you.”

Nines enters the Underground again, music already deafening as he runs to the stage. He’s a bit late, Colin having kept him and Connor having a hard time picking out an outfit. He’s frowning as he shoves people out of his way and comes to stand at the edge of the stage. 

 

His earlier frustrations leave him as he stares at Gavin. His dancer who’s sat with his legs spread as someone raises him up by his arms, he turns on them and pushes them away. Strutting off as the song ends and winning the crowd’s cheers once more. _He’s perfect._

 

He spots Nines. 

 

Gavin rushes to him and Nines’ is too happy to open his arms and capture him into a crushing hug. The dancer laughs as they both drink in the other’s company, swaying inside the hold, cheeks nuzzling into the other’s body as they grin too hard. He sees T, who’s real name is Tina, take the stage and begins her own fun. But he could hardly care about her, even if he owes all of this to her, for baiting him inside the pub in the first place. 

 

Gavin looks up at him, through his thick lashes and smiles. Rising his chin to lay it on Nines’s chest. “Come to my studio?”

 

Nines laughs, quirking up his brow. “You have a studio?”

 

He gets a roll of the eyes and when Gavin threatens to pull away, Nines grabs his hips and tugs him closer. He sees the dancer’s breathing turn irregular as his nose flares, how his pupils dilate, and his gaze drops to look at where they’re pressing together so completely. He notices the slight tint to his skin tone. 

 

“Of course, Gavin. I’d love to go to your studio.”

 

The happiness that radiates inside his eyes are entirely illegal, especially with what they do to Nines. He takes Nines by his hand, not his arm this time, and starts to tug him outside of the pub. The smile Gavin has is too bright but Nines really wouldn’t have it any other way. 

______________________________________

 

Gavin’s studio is a few blocks away, and the buildings surrounding it has massive amounts of graffiti. Though it is quite colorful and a bit nice to look at, some look professionally done. Nines wonders if the dancer ever did it himself or if it was just random people. Did he allow it? Was Gavin against all of it or did he even care at all? He’d have to ask sometime. 

 

“This is it.” Gavin softly pulls him out of his thoughts. 

 

The space is open, no walls, only a ceiling hanging over head with a fixture of beads that dangle down and act as a separation from the world outside. A shelf or two lines the small bit of metal sheeting that looks like it’s suppose to block the wind and weather from getting inside the place, a couple of ruby red benches just off the tiled flooring that stands in the middle of the entire thing. A stage, all for themselves. A private little place for secret shows with no audiences and no worries. There’s chairs, tables, and crates that offer a place to rest- even a small sofa tucked into the far corner with nice looking pillows stacked on top and a fancy looking radio just shy of a bench. Waiting to be put to use. 

 

It’s a very nice place, a small and cozy little corner of the world where no one can bother either of them. 

 

“The owner hired me to manage the compound, and to take the rent from the artists who use it. In return, he lets me use this space to rehearse.” Gavin explains and he sits down onto the bench, pulling the radio up with him and toying with one of the knobs. 

 

Nines wishes he had his own studio, wishes it would look half as nice as this. 

 

“And _we’re_ going to use this place to make some magic happen.” 

 

“Oh, we are, are we?” Nines can’t help himself from snorting at the eyebrows Gavin gives him then. He sees Gavin hit a button on the radio he has, turns a knob and suddenly the entire studio is drowned in the familiar tune of the station playing. Nines knows the song and he wonders if Gavin had picked it on purpose. 

 

He watches, legs proper and prissy as he walks himself onto the colored tiles of the stage, how he melts to the very center with ease and bunches his legs under him. His head lulls back, eyes fluttering closed and Nines takes his own lip between his teeth as he prepares himself for a show. 

 

_And you got me, let go_   
_What you want from me? (What you want from me?)_   
_And I tried to buy your pretty heart, but the price too high_   
_Baby you got me like oh_   
_You love when I fall apart (fall apart)_   
_So you can put me together_   
_And throw me against the wall_

 

Gavin’s hand taps against his leg, before the crash of the cymbals raise it up as if he’s scorned by the very action. Nines scrunches his brows in silent question, arms crossed as he wonders if he should come in and join. Gavin’s rolling and landing perfectly on his feet, hand slowly sliding up his side until it’s at his collar. 

 

He steps to the side, hips rolling so sensually Nines is almost hypnotized by the way they shift. A smooth and slow body roll that starts at his legs and trails up his spine all the way to his neck and head while his eyes never open. He staggers at the next buzzing crash, greens blaring to life as he works the tiles as suave as can be under his foot. 

 

_Baby you got me like ah, woo, ah_   
_Don't you stop loving me (loving me)_   
_Don't quit loving me (loving me)_   
_Just start loving me (loving me)_

 

His hand inches up his waist and he kicks his legs as the singer harmonizes with her track, flying so easily and smooth from the side of the stage. Spinning and waltzing like he has a partner to dance with, Nines itches to walk out there and make that real. He was just about to before the song picked back up again. 

 

Gavin approaches him fast, jetting his leg out and making a snapping notion of it before his hand pounds at his own chest. He’s rocking on the balls of his feet, dancing back and forth as he mouths along with the words. Before his hips roll sharply and he’s squatting down again on the floor, legs spread open and wide 

 

_Oh, and baby I'm fist fighting with fire_   
_Just to get close to you_   
_Can we burn something, babe?_

 

Nines couldn’t stand still anymore, he walks right up to the dancer and grabs his chin between his slender fingers and pulls him right up. They jump with the exhilarating drums, and while the mass of instruments blare- Gavin tries to spin himself right past Nines, but he’s not so ready to let him off the hook just yet. 

 

Catching Gavin right by his waistband, Nines purposely twirls him back into his arms. Leading him into a chorus of steps and dizzying spins. Gavin’s eyes look a bit widened, and Nines reassures him with a small smile of his own before he’s dipping his partner low and Gavin compensates by letting his legs wrap around Nines’s back before they get returned to being planted back onto the ground. 

 

_And I run for miles just to get a taste_   
_Must be love on the brain_   
_That's got me feeling this way (feeling this way)_

 

He turns Gavin around, braces his hands against the sides of the dancer’s face before he mellows out with the beat. Nines slides his hands down, slowly, tracing every angle on his dancer’s figure. Gavin’s hands rests over his own as they glide pleasantly over his chest, feeling the toned pectorals he has and skirting over his sides then down his hips, inching towards his inner thighs.

 

Nines isn’t scared to grind his hips into Gavin’s ass, and the dancer isn’t either to press right back against him. His own hands moves Nines’ for him, making them grab at him in places he normally wouldn’t dare to venture in, cup things he wouldn’t have the usual courage to even try and then he bends and arches all the way to the floor. 

 

Nines has his hips, rolling into them and guiding them this way and that, thumbs massaging the prominent hipbones he wishes he could sink his teeth into. 

 

_It beats me black and blue but it fucks me so good_   
_And I can't get enough_   
_Must be love on the brain yeah_   
_And it keeps cursing my name (cursing my name)_   
_No matter what I do, I'm no good without you_

 

Gavin dips onto the floor, turning on his back and sliding a hand seductively all over his body, rolling his form up and into the air and letting his legs spread. Inviting, beckoning, and Nines would be an utter fool to not get in between them. 

 

He brackets his arms around the dancer’s head, he does not miss the hungry look that passes over the other’s face as he eyes up Nines’s arms- specifically, the flex of his bicep as he stays stationed above Gavin. It’s a beautiful feeling, really, Nines has to say. As legs snake to hold him close and fingers tap and trace at his jaw, holding his chin and beckoning it forward. His nose brushed against Gavin’s, so he leans in a bit more, forehead gracing forehead and Nines might be a bit of a bastard-

 

He’ll admit to that. 

 

Because he lets his weight pull him down flush against Gavin’s body, drinking in greedy gulps of warmth that he steals from the dancer, and lets his hips roll steady on Gavin’s. He delights in the shaky gasp he gets, the hitched breathing and lustful look as his shirt gets bunched up in a clenched fist. 

 

_And I can't get enough_   
_Must be love on the brain_

 

Gavin flips them then; has both of Nines’s hands held above his head, gripped loosely in a single grip while the other limb curbs around his face and trails along his body. It maps out wherever it pleases, but he can’t stop looking at the longing inside those beautiful greens. Can’t help feeling empowered by the occasional breeze, the heat licking up his spine and mending his nerves. 

 

Fingers politely drum up his neck, skirts over his chin and passed right over his lips. 

 

Gavin pauses, leans in- they’re so close and Nines needs to feel that contact. A thumb brushed his bottom lip and parts his mouth and he’s begging with his eyes for the dancer to just kiss him already. He’s never wanted anything more; spotlight dance be damned, Amanda’s position now forgotten, academic scholarships were suddenly too boring. But Gavin? Gavin was it, was the best thing and if he didn’t get a dose- a fix of the alluring male- he was going to go insane. 

 

_Baby, keep loving me_   
_Just love me, yeah_   
_Just love me_   
_All you need to do is love me, yeah_

 

Finally, oh, finally.

 

Nines feels those lips lower onto his own, gentle and hesitant. Like a soft caress against his skin, the sweetest of whispers, a tender trill of a current. And he responds to it as soon as he feels Gavin’s mouth on his. 

 

In mimicry, Nines cups both sides of the dancer’s face and surges up into the kiss. There’s a hum, or maybe a soft mewl against their lips, he can’t tell because it gets muffled and swallowed. Nines angles himself, licks the edge of the bottom lip he wants to take between his teeth and gets permission to deepen this wonderful kiss long awaited. His tongue darts into Gavin’s mouth and makes quick work of finding the little places that’ll make him keen and whimper- the sharp gasps and the insistent flush of his body pressing down hard on Nines’ own. It’s intimate and everything he fantasized about, everything he ever wanted, and he sighs against the lips and teeth biting his own.

 

The kiss turns slow, neither quite as rushed but just as into it, deploying just as much passion as they started with. The song begins to fade, not that either pay much attention to it. 

 

Nines has his hands settled on the plush rear of the dancer, kneading and groping, smoothing his fingers against the curve of a muscular back. Melting into the body so lovely and lively and so close to him, his lungs protest and yell at him to breathe actual air and not Gavin. He doesn’t want to agree to those terms, doesn’t want to have air if it puts a damper on what they were doing. Though the decision wasn’t entirely his.

 

Gavin pulls away first, lips swollen and red. Hair disheveled and his eyes glisten, twinkle, and shine with something that makes the heart inside his chest sputter and feel misaligned. He’s sure the rosy dust that crawls down Gavin’s neck is just as prominent on his own skin. He hopes the love in his own blues are what he’s seeing reflected inside those beautiful grey-greens. He’s breathless and speechless. Gavin is too. For a long time all they do is stare. 

 

“Hey, you.” Nines says it like a secret, too afraid to speak up an octave and fracture the picturesque moment. 

 

Gavin grins at him, and it’s one of the softest looks he’d ever received. “Hey, you.”

 

Nines shifts his hands up, on a toned waist as he beams when Gavin doesn’t pull away. He basks inside the warm glow, feels it pulse inside his chest. 

 

Gavin starts to laugh, a lovely sound all on it’s own. As he rises up he pulls Nines right along with him until they’re righted, Gavin’s arms are thrown over his shoulders. “Come here often?”

 

Nines snickers, he has to. The implication too merry for him to ignore. “Not often enough, is there a chance that can be fixed?”

 

Gavin hums, eyelids dropping as he leans in close again. Nines can’t help but to do the same. “I think that can be arranged.” 

 

He smiles, grabs at the dancer on top of him and stands with Gavin collected in his arms. There’s a stifled yelp, a ludicrous reaction that has Nines laughing again. 

 

“Care to dance?” 

 

“Oh, you’re so on.” Gavin hops down and Nines lets him go. 

 

As another song plays over the sound system, Nines thinks he’s found his style, his rhythm. And he has this Minx of a dancer to thank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the end!
> 
> I might later on down the road, might add brief little inserts to this later, like a series. But who knows??? Either way!!! This was fun to write and I wanna say thanks to everyone that kept reading!!! 
> 
> Hopefully nothing got too lost in translation?  
>  Love On The Brain  
> (didn't use the entire dance seeing as its a solo)

**Author's Note:**

> The video/choreagraphy I'm referencing to this for Gavin is; [ Post It ](https://youtu.be/6ROeWWmvK90)
> 
>  
> 
> I'm finally finished with this!! I'm not entirely sure on an update schedule??? maybe once every Wednesday?? Not sure,,,,we'll see I suppose!!
> 
> I hope you like the introduction to this, I know it was probably boring but it'll get better- promise. Nines is gonna see a LOT more of Gavin if you know what I mean ;)
> 
> let me know your thoughts, loves! <3


End file.
